


With a little help from a friend...

by Belsmomaus



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hux' POV, Mitaka's POV, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Sleep Deprivation, no kylux in this one, protective Mitaka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-01 15:58:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13298268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belsmomaus/pseuds/Belsmomaus
Summary: Hux’ face was even paler than could possibly be explained by his naturally fair complexion. And the red eyes and dark circles underneath were a dead giveaway. Although it was the dull gaze of those usually so very vibrant and intimidating piercing eyes that worried Mitaka above all else.He couldn’t watch this a moment longer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> YEAH, my muse finally woke from her almost one year long coma!
> 
> I'm working on something kylux right now, but then I saw this post on tumblr, about 'why ship xxx when you can ship Armitage Hux and getting a good night's sleep and a reprieve from all these rude force users he works with'.
> 
> And that kind of stuck with me. To the point where I had to get it out of my system.
> 
> Never thought I'd write about Mitaka one day, but hey, what's life if not full of surprises ;)

He couldn't watch this a moment longer.

Dopheld Mitaka had joined the First Order out of conviction. The Galaxy was a chaotic place, an arena of endless political squabbling, each and everyone only interested in gaining the best position, the most profit. The so called Republic was failing to do something about it. Nothing but talk after talk for the sake of appearances, while all around them criminal mobs rose to power, inequality was becoming a bigger problem every day and every structure they might have had either crumbled or turned out to be nothing but a scam.

What the galaxy needed was order. Structure. And a strong hand to guide it.

That strong belief was what had made him join the First Order.

That belief had jubilated a week ago as he'd looked out of the big transparisteel window of the Finalizer and watched the Republic die. The loss of so many lives had been tragic and horrible and it still filled him with cold unease whenever he thought about it, but it had been necessary. The only way to make them understand that their ways weren't the answer.

That belief was still strong within him, although everything else had been shaken to the core since then.

Their greatest victory, turned into their greatest shame by a bunch of third class insurgents.

Their flagship destroyed.

Their Supreme Leader killed by an insignificant scavenger.

A new leadership.

This last week had been hard on all of them. Unexpectedly hard.

Unnecessarily hard.

_Why couldn't they just accept that their vision had failed and their time was over? There was no reason to fight the inevitable._

At least there was only a bunch of them left. It would be only a matter of time until they found and obliterated them. And with their precious General Organa finally out of the picture the Resistance would be dead and the First Order could finally start bringing order to the chaos the Republic had left behind.

At least he hoped, but he didn't dare think otherwise. Didn't dare doubting their Supreme Leader. Certainly not while he's present on the bridge.

Mitaka's gaze lifted up from his console. Just enough to watch.

"I want them found, General! I wanted them found _yesterday_!" Supreme Leader Ren said, his deep voice vibrating with barely contained anger.

"Even given a low fuel reserve the list of systems they could still reach is long. We're currently trying to determine the most likely candidates. I've already dispatched scout ships to the three most likely systems," the general replied.

Hux stood tall next to Ren, his posture straight, his uniform impeccable, his hands folded behind his back. He exuded nothing but efficiency and calm.

But Mitaka had been stationed under the general's command for almost two years now. Six months ago the general had started to include him more into his work, had entrusted him with overseeing increasingly important tasks and encouraged him into open discussions on various topics regarding their work and the future of the Order whenever they were in the privacy of his office or his quarters.

It was an honor. Of all his officers Hux, the youngest general in the Order – his conviction and ambition on a par with his tactical genius and his honest interest in not unnecessarily risking the lives of their own men – had picked _him_ to groom. It was more than an honor.

An honor that Mitaka was determined to return by not letting Hux down.

Due to that he knew the general better than most.

He _knew_ where to look and the man up there who talked with the Supreme Leader wasn't calm in the face of Ren's impatience. He was tired. Tired to a level where he didn't even care about informing Ren to the impossibility of his demands.

It was all there to see for anyone who knew what to look for. Hux' posture was pristine, but it was stiff and he barely moved, reserving energy. His face was even paler than could possibly be explained by his naturally fair complexion. And the red eyes and dark circles underneath were a dead giveaway. Although it was the dull gaze of those usually so very vibrant and intimidating piercing eyes that worried him above all else.

"Not good enough!" Ren hissed and started pacing in front of the big transparisteel window. "Get this ship moving and search! I don't care if you have to scour the whole galaxy, I _want_ _them_ _found_!"

"I _get_ that." This time there was something flashing in Hux' eyes. Tiny and not comparable to his usual cold ire when challenged like this, but it was something. "Supreme Leader." It was added more as an afterthought and again Mitaka was sure he was the only one who noticed the subtle inflection, as if those words tasted like bile in Hux' mouth. "Yet, as you know, this ship took considerable damage due to its close range to the destruction of the Supremacy. Even if I would be willing to risk the safety of my crew and ignore the danger of jumping to hyperspace with multiple hull breeches and minimal shield capacity, _our main_ _hyperdrive field guide is_ _offline_! The repairs will take at least another six hou--"

There was a short gurgling sound and Hux slid across the floor towards Ren, his feet barely touching the ground.

The officers all around him scrambled quickly to look away and seem as busy as they probably could to not get involved. Mitaka kept watching, though. Sick to the stomach from the indignity and unfairness of it. And angry at his own helplessness.

There was fear in Hux' eyes. Actual _fear_ as Ren had grabbed him at his throat, no doubt, and manhandled him across the floor with that invisible Force that scared the hell out of Mitaka. And Hux obviously, too, although he'd never seen his general openly afraid of anything.

It was disturbing.

"I want the ship ready in four hours. No second longer. And send more scout ships! I won't let them get away a third time!"

Ren whirled around and hurried off with heavy steps. The second he had his back to Hux, the fear in his eyes turned to hate. At least that hate brought some color back to his cheeks. For a while he stalked the bridge and gave orders, his words crisp and to the point; resolute, but never shouting.

Maybe half an hour later Mitaka found Hux standing at a console off to the side, the officers at the adjacent stations had left and found another terminal to work. He wasn't sure if they were simply wary of their superior officer or if they wanted to allow him a moment of peace. He hoped for the second but with all the tension about these last few days he thought the former was far more likely.

He approached Hux slowly, making his steps louder than necessary to alert the other man of his presence. When he was almost next to him he could spot the display of the screens in front of him. One showed a star chart with various systems singled out. Next to it a list with their names and below that another list with information regarding parameters for cross referencing: known Republic affiliations, background information of General Organa, Han Solo, Poe Dameron and a few other names that he didn't know. The other display showed something else entirely, though: budget information. Regarding munitions, repairs, fuel. And below that: a list of casualties – two columns, one for the wounded, one for the dead.

It was hard to tell which of those displays currently held Hux' attention.

"General?"

Hux startled. Another prove for the man's exhaustion. To let himself get caught off-guard like this. Yet he put himself together in an instant and turned, the dull expression back in his eyes. Mitaka’s eyes hurt even by just looking at those red eyes of the general.

"Lieutenant."

"The current report on the state of the repairs." He held out a datapad. It held reports of all departments, sorted by importance. The main hyperdrive engine right on top.

Hux took it and stared at it. He blinked. Blinked again. And then he suddenly swayed.

Quickly Mitaka took a step closer, positioning himself between Hux and the eyes of the crew behind them, and grabbed the generals upper arm to stabilize him. Luckily it was enough. Still, that little episode worried him more than he was able to admit.

Hux was tireless when it came to his duty. He demanded discipline and dedication and hard work from everyone under his command, principles that he demanded of himself just as much. But this right now wasn't just being overworked or the product of a few short nights due to too much work still to be done.

To be honest, he wondered if Hux had even gotten _any_ sleep since the Starkiller disaster.

Supreme Leader Snoke had been furious, even though Hux had saved his apprentice's life. Mitaka had no idea what kind of punishment the general had received for his failure, but the man had been white as a sheet and even more determined than usual when he’d gotten back.

There, back at D'Qar Mitaka had gotten his first glimpse of how the Supreme Leader treated those who failed him. That display of humiliation right there on the bridge had been utterly undignified. And horrifying to watch.

But Hux had taken it in stride, somehow. His dignity and ego maybe bruised but not broken and his determination stronger than ever.

With the weight of those failures on his shoulders, though, and the knowledge, that he _needed_ to succeed, because with a pissed off Supreme Leader the ice beneath one's feet could get from thin to non-existent in the blink of an eye, it wasn't surprising that Hux had either not found the peace to rest or not allowed himself to rest in order to wrap up all the problems the latest disasters had caused. Maybe it had been a mix of both.

And then the impossible had happened. The Resistance girl had killed Snoke and Kylo Ren of all people had taken the Supreme Leaders place. Sure, he'd been Snoke's apprentice, and the man was powerful and terrifying, but he was no leader. And even worse than that, he even doubted that Ren had any real interest in the goals of the First Order.

Well, he knew that Hux shared his opinion. And he knew that Hux hated it to have to answer to Ren.

He hadn't been there on Crait but he'd heard what had happened the second that Hux had stepped in and tried to prevent Ren from doing exactly what the enemy wanted of him. It hadn't surprised him that Ren had let his anger get the better of him, but it had surprised him to learn that Hux had been the one he'd lashed out at. Maybe it was the careless violence and the disregard for the consequences of such an action that had shocked him. Or maybe it was that it had once and for all painted Hux as just another human being, after all. Someone, who – no matter how cold and efficient and terrifying in its own right – could still be hurt.

But this was getting out of hand now.

This couldn't go on like this.

"I'm fine." The words were quiet, only audible to the both of them.

Mitaka let go of Hux' arm. Hux pressed his eyes shut tightly for a second then blinked before he looked at the datapad again, as if nothing had happened. His face fell as he read.

"I'll be down in engineering. There has to be a way to speed this up."

The datapad was pressed into his hands again and then Hux was gone. He looked after him for a while, the image of painfully red eyes burnt into his head. He could still feel the unsteady swaying underneath his fingers.

No, he really couldn't watch this a moment longer.

And he wouldn't!

But what could he possibly do?

Well, he couldn't turn Ren into a responsible leader, that was for sure. And he certainly couldn't get rid of-- oh no, he didn't even dare thinking of that. He valued his life.

But there was one thing he _could_ do.

Slowly a plan formed in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

His comlink beeped.

Hux had lost count how many times it had forcefully intruded into his thoughts and hopelessly scattered his concentration in the last two hours. Or was it four? He turned towards the lift to the lower sections. He needed to talk to Phasma about integrating the surviving troopers from the Supremacy into their own crew and--

_Phasma is dead!_

His steps faltered and he nearly fell as it hit him yet again. Phasma was dead. Gone. Her body not among those that had been saved. She'd been his confidant. His ally. His _friend_. And now she was gone because of that blasted Resistance who'd managed to destroy his whole life within just a few days. With nothing but a bunch of reckless idiots.

Hadn't they taken enough already?

Sharp pain exploded in his knuckles, radiating through his whole hand. It vibrated right up his arm, jarring the giant bruise across his back from his involuntary crash against a console on Crait.

Confused he stared at his hand, connected to the wall, just where he'd smashed it. Only he didn't remember hitting the wall in the first place.

No! He wouldn't let himself come to this! He wouldn't rage in the hallways like that overgrown man-child. He was better than this.

And he simply didn't have the energy to spare.

His shoulders sagged and after making sure that no one had seen him he rubbed his eyes. They still burned. And his head pounded.

_Okay, enough of that! Get yourself together! There's so much work to be done! Who was second in command after Phasma? Come on, think--_

BEEP. BEEP.

Ripped out of his thoughts yet again it took him a moment – an embarrassingly long moment – to realize that the sound came from his comlink. And that he still needed to answer it.

"General Hux," he acknowledged the call.

"Lieutenant Mitaka, Sir. I wanted to remind you of our meeting in twenty minutes, Sir." A short pause, one that he wasn't able to fill without giving away that he had no idea what Mitaka was talking about. "In your quarters? As usual?"

"Sure."

The link closed and Hux was left to stare at it. Kriff, yet another thing that had slipped his mind. Obviously. Was it really time already for their weekly meeting? Well, it had to. Mitaka was meticulous and one of the few people he trusted completely.

But he had no time for this! Not with three million things screaming for his attention. Not with Ren breathing down his neck. Not with _Ren_ of all people as Supreme Leader of the First Order. The girl killed Snoke, my ass! This whole mess had ‘Ren’ written right over it. He needed to make sure Ren wouldn't destroy everything he'd worked for his entire life. Ren didn't care for the Order, for its goals, only for his own personal vendettas. And someone needed to make sure it wouldn't destroy them all. Someone needed to stand up to him and steer him at least roughly towards the right direction, no matter the cost.

His hand rubbed against his sore neck.

He should've killed him when he’d had the chance.

Well, next time he would. But for now he needed to bide his time, assess the situation, stop it from spiraling further out of control and get on top of it without openly getting in Ren's way. But when the time was right and he got another chance, he wouldn't hesitate a second time!

With surprise he noticed that he was almost at his quarters. He didn't remember getting here. Damn, this really needed to stop. This was the worst timing ever for his mind to give up on him.

Maybe he should take the time for a quick nap, they were on their way to one of the possible locations the pathetic little rest of the Resistance might have fled to. Their engine miraculously repaired within the absurd time frame Ren had set them in his anger, but only just. And only by making the workers in charge get a move on by snapping threats that were usually beneath him – and by pulling additional technicians off of other areas that were only marginally less important than their engines.

Still, they were in hyperspace and en route and it would take them almost eight hours to get there – unless their hyperdrive broke down before that or Ren would destroy the ship in a bout of impatience. No matter what, it was out of his hands. Maybe he should really...

No. No way. There were literally a million things that needed to be addressed. He had them all on a list in his mind. Only he couldn't shake the feeling that said list seemed different every time he looked at it. Whenever he focused on one thing, three others slipped away and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't seem to grasp them again. He'd been sure the repairs had been the first thing on his list, closely followed by something important, and only then came the survivors of the Supremacy. But he couldn't for the life of him remember it and when he looked at his mental list now, there was nothing between repairs and survivors. But there had been, right?

No, he couldn't take a nap. Not when there was finally time to get things done.

Maybe Mitaka could help him sort through it all.

_I need caf!_

The mere thought made his stomach churn. No, he didn't think he could stomach yet another cup of that bitter brew. Not without being sick. Maybe his stomach needed something different than caf for a change. But he'd eaten a protein bar this morning, between a quick shower and getting back onto the bridge. It had been this morning, right? Or had it been yesterday? Well, it seemed one protein bar in one or two days was obviously not enough.

Maybe another stim?

He'd taken two already since this whole mess had started. And he hated the stuff. The moment the effects started to wear off one not only went back to being exhausted and inattentive, but one crashed into a whole so much worse than before. Without his sleep and stim addled mind it would've never come to this. There wouldn’t have been a moment of hesitation. Ren would be dead next to Snoke, the Resistance would be nothing more than a memory and it would be him leading the First Order to the glory it deserved.

It was too great a risk, taking another one.

And yet he needed that push.

But if he used one now, the effect would last probably just until they jumped out of hyperspace, and if there was one time he couldn't risk being even more under the weather then it was _that_ moment. So no stims. At least not right now.

He was at his door and let himself in.

How long until Mitaka would arrive? He had no idea how much time had passed since the call. And what had Mitaka said, anyway? Thirty minutes? He closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

Anyway, enough time to get started sorting through some of the more pressing matters on his list. Absentmindedly he opened his uniform at the front to make himself more comfortable. Ever since that blatant demonstration of power – and that terrifying demonstration of uncontrolled rage – the tight fit of his uniform around his throat felt more constricting than he dared to admit.

He eyed his couch. Thinking longingly back to evenings he'd sat there, legs tucked under himself, a cup of steaming hot tarine tea at his side and a holo novel in his hands. Even his datapad with an endless list of tasks would do if only to feel that couch beneath him and smell that soothing bitterness that never upset his stomach, not like the bitterness of caf.

His feet were already dragging him there and it took far more willpower than it should have to stop. Instead he forced himself to take a seat at his desk and activate his private console. The bright light of the display lanced through his eyes right into his brain. He groaned. And pushed on regardless. There was something he’d wanted to look up, something that he’d forgotten, back in the corridor. But it was gone now.

Frustrated he raked his hands through his hair. He balled his hands into fists at the back of his head, almost welcoming the pain at his scalp and closed his eyes with a sigh.

His eyes shot open, his heart hammering in his chest.

He’d been falling. Falling somehow… some…

His surroundings cleared and his mind, sluggish and confused as it was, did so as well. He was in his quarters, at his desk. And he’d almost fallen asleep. The movement of his head sagging down had shocked him back into wakefulness.

The door chimed.

Who the hell was _that_? Now wasn’t a good time. Not at all. Not… Mitaka.

 _Kriff_!

He pushed his chair back and jumped up and regretted the move immediately. He clutched the corner of the table for a second until the world stopped spinning, then gave the command to open the door.

Only _then_ did he remember the state he was in. Uniform jacket open, his hair a mess most likely and still panting. It was too late now.

Mitaka stepped into the room until the door closed behind him. He looked disgustingly pristine and _awake_.

Hux could feel the Lieutenants eyes on him, could see them take in everything, but he refrained from commenting on it. And for now Hux could live with that, knowing that Mitaka was far too decent and loyal to tell anyone. Still, when that innocent and mildly curious gaze out of dark eyes kept lingering at his neck, openly on display now between his open jacket and the low collar of his undershirt, he couldn’t help the wish to hide. And before his mind could provide him with the information that hiding it _now_ would make him look even weaker in the eyes of his underling he raised his hands to pull the open ends of his uniform together. Only for his left hand to miss. It turned into a fumble. So before he could embarrass himself even further he dropped his hands and hoped his shame wasn’t visible on his face.

_Come on, don’t stand there like an idiot! You’re the superior here. Safe face! Take back control of the situation!_

“It’s good you’re here. There’s much to do and we need to prioritize everything and-”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but-” Mitaka paused, looking uncomfortable.

And Hux would’ve loved to scold him for that, if he weren’t so stunned that this simple interruption had made him lose his train of thought completely. He couldn’t for the love of him recall what he’d wanted to say and on some level that scared the hell out of him.

“Permission to speak freely, Sir.”

Hux shook himself and forced himself to concentrate on Mitaka. He knew that whatever the man wanted to tell him, he wouldn’t like it. Probably something about the bruises or his disheveled state. Or the myriad of undignified moments he’d had to endure in front of his men at the hand of force-users these last days. Maybe they’d lost faith in him. Maybe they saw the same weak boy now his father had always seen when looking at him.

Or, even worse, he would offer some kind of well meant sympathy.

No, he really didn’t want to hear it. But this was Mitaka. The man was diligent, clever, well liked and even though it didn’t seem like it at first glance, there was a ruthless fighter inside that inconspicuous shell. Even if he’d answer a negative, something told him that he’d say his bit anyway.

“Permission granted.”

“Sir, I think it would be best if you had some rest. You can’t keep powering on like this, not for much longer.”

“I’m fine.” It was an automatic response. He knew it was a lie, but he had to make it his truth, if only for the sake of his crew and the First Order in general.

Mitaka surprised him with his vehemence. “No, Sir, you are certainly not. You threatened an engineer with throwing his foreman who happens to be his daughter into the modulator chamber of the hyperdrive to motivate him to work faster. ‘In four hours her radiation poisoning won’t be reversible anymore, so you better hurry and get the field guide online before that if you want her to life.’ That were your words. That’s not like you, Sir!”

And he would’ve done it. He who prized himself on valuing the lives of the people under his command had threatened to kill someone just to appease an almost impossible timeline from Ren. Only the assurances and desperate promises of the other engineers that they would make it in time, that there was no need for this to happen, had stopped him in the end. No, this truly wasn’t like him.

Something like this shouldn’t happen. _Couldn’t_ happen!

“And that’s not everything. You asked medbay for an updated report three times within ten minutes. The coordinates you gave to the helmsman matched that of the last system you’d sent a scout ship to instead of the one you picked for us because of Organa’s old contacts.” His voice got softer. “You almost collapsed earlier on the bridge and, to be honest, you look like shit, Sir.”


	3. Chapter 3

_“And that’s not everything. You asked medbay for an updated report three times within ten minutes. The coordinates you gave to the helmsman matched that of the last system you’d sent a scout ship to instead of the one you picked for us because of Organa’s old contacts.” His voice got softer. “You almost collapsed earlier on the bridge and, to be honest, you look like shit, Sir.”_

* * *

 

Hux blinked in shock. Not even at the vulgar insult at the end, but the rest. He never made mistakes. Not like that. Never like that. But now he’d collected more little errors in a few hours than he’d made in the last ten years of his career.

Mitaka was right. He needed rest. Sleep. A chance for his mind to shut down and resettle. A chance to get his wits and his energy back. He _knew_ that. God, he _longed_ to just lie down and sleep _so much_ he couldn’t put it in words.

But it _just wasn’t possible_ right now.

He closed his eyes for a second and let his head drop a little. He’d shown Mitaka enough weakness already, a tiny bit more wouldn’t make a difference anymore. “I know, Dopheld. But these times are critical. There’s too much at stake right now. Too many things that need taken care of before...”

Before what? He wasn’t sure what he’d wanted to say. Great, now he was losing his train of thought even without being interrupted.

“Sir?”

He blinked. Worried eyes gazed back at him. And two hands were at his shoulders, grabbing him tight. What..?

_Oh God, I dropped off again, didn’t I? No, this can’t happen. I need to get the stims. I need-_

His thoughts got interrupted again as Mitaka’s face set into something eerily determined and he began steering him through the room. When he opened the door to his bedroom Hux’ mind finally caught up. He started protesting, appealing to Mitaka’s sense of honor, his duty to the First Order and when nothing worked he started throwing words around like ‘insubordination’ and ‘court martial’. Mitaka ignored it all and only when Hux was pushed down to sit at the edge of his bed did he realize that he didn’t have the energy to actually fight him.

Mitaka pushed the uniform jacket off of his shoulders and draped it over a nearby chair. Then he knelt down and divested him of his boots.

_Everything_ about this was completely, utterly surreal.

Until Mitaka, still kneeling, looked up and held his gaze. “The Supremacy is destroyed. Thousands of good officers and soldiers dead. The Resistance is on its knees. And Kylo Ren is the new Supreme Leader of the First Order. We need someone with the interests of the Order at heart. Someone who won’t let it all fall to pieces now. We _need_ you, General. And we need you at your best. These are trying times, as you said.

“So, if it eases your mind. All repairs are well on their way. I’ve spoken to Hayun, Phasma’s second in command. She’s overseeing the redistribution of the new troops. She’s keeping track on the dead and the injured and makes sure everyone of the survivors gets quarters for the time being. I’ve also gone over all the budget data you already compiled, added anything that wasn’t already listed. I compiled some suggestions to possible solutions to the funding problems. And I arranged for our munitions to be replenished. I also arranged for the families of those officers whose deaths have been confirmed to be informed. There are also a few other things, that you undoubtedly had on your list, that will be taken care of, but we can discuss that later.”

Hux wasn’t sure if he’d heard that correctly. How had Mitaka managed to address all of his major problems this quickly? How did he even know…

He was speechless. Utterly speechless.

And immensely grateful. As if some of that pressure on his shoulders had suddenly lifted.

“Now, in seven and a half hours we’ll jump out of hyperspace. That gives you enough time to get some sleep. Not as much as I’d like but better than nothing. I’ll make sure to wake you in six and a half hours. That way you’ll have time for a shower and a light meal – and you _will_ eat something – and I’ll fill you in on anything that happened in the meantime. Now, please, get some rest!”

He got pushed back. And let it happen. He still couldn’t wrap his head around this.

Until a thought startled him, half-way down and he snapped back up again, wincing at the sudden pain in both his back and his head. “What about Ren! He’ll-”

Mitaka interrupted him yet again – this was becoming something of a habit. “In case there should be anything important, I promise to wake you. Otherwise,” he paused, gulped, then set his shoulders straight, “let me handle the Supreme Leader for now.”

No, he couldn’t do this to Mitaka.

Again Mitaka pushed him back into the sheets. Only this time Hux didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. Even before his head hit the pillow his muscles felt like jelly, the constant thudding in his head dulled down and his thoughts drifted off, unable to stay latched onto whatever had been important just a moment before.

He didn’t feel the sheets touch his cheek as his head lolled to the side. Or the blanket settle on his body as Mitaka draped it over him. His mind already deeply buried within desperately needed oblivion.

 

***

 

As his attempt at stifling his yawn failed, Mitaka at least tried to hide it behind his hand, hoping it wasn’t too obvious. He was tired now after reaching the end of a double shift. A self-imposed double shift.

He looked up where Hux and Ren were currently engaged in a heated discussion in the heart of the bridge.

They’d found no sign of the surviving resistance members in this system so far, but before they’d even gotten the chance to get started searching for real on the only inhabitable world Ren had deemed in unnecessary, since they’re not here. ‘He would feel it if they were’. But Hux had argued for the possibility that they had come through at least or split up to make an easier getaway by confusing them. He’d argued that even if they weren’t here _now_ there might still be information found from Organa’s old contacts about where they might go.

An argument that Hux had won.

Mitaka still wondered how Hux could face Ren like that on a regular basis. That man was- _intense_ and scary, even without adding the Force to the mix. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine from the memory alone…

_He quickly strode from the bridge to prepare conference room three for the meeting of the heads of all technical divisions to discuss the progress and problems with the ongoing repairs, only to run right into their newly proclaimed Supreme Leader himself._

“ _Where is the general?”_

“ _Um,” he mumbled, caught completely off-guard and in the worst scenario that could’ve happened. His brain jumped right into overdrive. “General Hux is using the duration of our current hyperspace jump to see to a matter of great urgency and importance.” That wasn’t so bad, was it? “He doesn’t want to be disturbed.”_

_He mentally flinched. He shouldn’t have said that. Not to Ren._

“ _Does he now...” Ren sneered. Then his eyes narrowed. “_ Where _is he?”_

_Mitaka gave his best to stand up straight and put up a brave and unimpressed face. He only hoped his words would come out with more confidence than he was currently feeling. “He’s in his quarters, Supreme Leader. I’m sure he’ll contact you as soon as he’s finished.”_

_The frown on Ren’s face deepened. Ren suddenly looked at him as if he were finally_ seeing _him. All of him. And he seriously wished he wouldn’t. He felt like sitting ducks all of a sudden._

_Ren made a step forwards. The movement of his broad body composed but intense, designed to intimidate. Which worked perfectly. But it was that look in Ren’s eyes that truly scared him. To his surprise he found that he wished for the mask to be back. He backed away, without even consciously deciding to._

_It only worked for two or three steps until he bumped into a wall. And Ren, who was far too close for his liking, cocked his head, curiosity in his dark eyes._

“ _What are you hiding?”_

_One gloved hand was raised, held aloft to his face, and he could feel it instantly, the pressure of something foreign in his mind. It didn’t hurt, not like he had expected, but it was unpleasant and just_ wrong _. He’s breathing faster now, his heart beating out a frightened rhythm._

“ _What are you hiding, Lieutenant?”_

_And then images flashed up in his mind, unbidden, and Ren latched onto them like a predator and dragged them into the light by sheer force._ Now _it hurt. Even worse the more he tried to resist, yet he still fought with everything he had. And lost._

_There was the remembered image of the general, pale, almost gray, his hair a mess and those dull eyes so terribly red. The harsh bruises around his neck a stark contrast against his pale skin. He’s talking and then breaking up in the middle of his sentence, blinking and swaying, only kept upright by Mitaka’s own hands. There was Hux lying in his bed, finally sleeping, although he looked more dead than asleep._

_A scoff pulled him back into the here and now. “Great urgency, I see.”_

_It was over all of a sudden. Ren’s presence in his mind gone just as swiftly as it had pushed in. If it weren’t for the wall at his back he’d probably collapse right there and then. He was shaking all over and he couldn’t even say why. Shock? Anger at this rude and brutal violation of privacy? Fear for Hux? He wasn’t sure, and didn’t spare any time thinking on it. Instead he pushed right on, because he knew if he didn’t do it_ now _he never would._

“ _It is!” He kept his voice civil – somehow – and as steady as possible when openly defying the Supreme Leader. Or lecturing him. Both was bad. “General Hux is of no use to you or the First Order in the state he’s been!” His eyes widened and he quickly hurried to add: “Supreme Leader.”_

_He didn’t dare close his eyes but he focused on a point right next to Ren’s face and braced himself for the choking that would follow. Or any other violent reaction, be it carried out by the Force or not._

_It never came._

_Instead he could hear a pensive hum. “He was really beginning to lose his teeth. And he’s no fun that way.” Then those scary eyes turned their full attention back on him. “Make sure he’s on the bridge when we arrive!”_

It had taken him far longer to get his bearing back than it had taken Ren to disappear along the hallway. He still wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he was glad that Hux was dealing with Ren again now that he was back and rested.

Hux was still too pale and the dark circles under his eyes had barely diminished, but that few hours of sleep had done wonders for his exhausted mind. He would need more than one restful ‘night’ to get back to top form but his mind was sharp again, his orders accurate and he got his wits back to cleverly maneuver around the worst rapids of an argument with their new Supreme Leader.

Even the fire was back in his eyes. Cold and determined. Just as it should be.

Mitaka was still surprised that it had been this easy. That lie about a meeting in Hux’ quarters would’ve never _ever_ worked had Hux not been so completely out of it.

He was sure that he was one of very few people who had ever witnessed the general in a position as vulnerable as earlier. He was also sure that he was one of the very few, if not the only one, who had seen the ring of bruising around his neck. Well, he and Ren, he thought bitterly. It didn’t take a genius to put together what had happened – he just wasn’t sure which of the two force users had hurt him like that. In the end it had only strengthened his beliefs that he’d been doing the right thing.

The general was an incredible man, full of deeply hidden inner strength. But even someone like that needed a little bit of help sometimes. If they wanted to admit it or not.

And he was glad that he’d been able to help.

And he hoped that his message earlier, when he’d showed up at Hux’ quarters with a light breakfast and hot tarine tea to make sure the man would _actually_ eat, had been received: to share his burdens with him. Not necessarily the personal things – although he’d been willing to listen to that as well – but the parts regarding _work_. That was his job after all: helping his general so that the ship was running smoothly, so they could lead the First Order to its deserved glory.

It was surprisingly quiet.

They weren’t arguing anymore. It had become more of a real conversation, in a normal volume. With Hux soothing Ren’s anger over the continued failure to squash the Resistance once and for all while at the same time carefully steering him towards another option at hand.

“Right now, even given our recent losses, the First Order is at the perfect position to strike at the core worlds. We need to show them that those minor setbacks mean _nothing_ to us. And think about it, Supreme Leader,” Mitaka was impressed how silky those words could flow from the general’s tongue after the tasting-of-bile version from earlier, “we know which worlds have allied themselves with the Resistance in the past. Not only would those be worlds the Resistance might possibly seek help, but if we strike at those worlds first, their other so called allies won’t dare move a finger to help them out of fear of being next. We would strike the Resistance and their allies all in one and most likely even flush them out completely, because-- you and I both know that if there’s one thing those bunch of misfits _can’t_ do, it’s watching and doing nothing while their own are in danger.”

Ren was silent. Actually _contemplating_ those words. That was new.

A dangerous smirk danced around Hux’ lips.

Another yawn fought its way out of Mitaka. But his eyes stayed on the general.

The general he was used to see: tall, proud, quick-witted. Dangerous.

And he smiled.

Yeah, definitely worth it!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!
> 
> This was far more fun than I had anticipated - the part between Mitaka and Ren was especially fun to write.   
> Hux finally got his sleep and I'm sure Mitaka will have an eye on him from now on. Maybe even Kylo, who knows ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it all!  
> If so (or if not), feel free to leave a comment. I always appreciate to know what you're thinking :D

**Author's Note:**

> Penny for your thoughts? :)
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.


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